Oh gawd. California lawmakers, forgetting that an 18-year-old is an adult capable of adult decisions, voted Thursday to make the Golden State the second in the nation to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21.
The law, which is not official unless Governor Jerry Brown signs off on it, would restrict the use of all tobacco products, even vaping, for people under 21.
Advocates for the law note that the vast majority of smokers start before they are 18, and believe that, aking it illegal for 18-year-old high school students to buy tobacco for their underage friends will make it more difficult for teens to get the products, reports ABC 7 – which, ummm, sure. Yeah.
Of course, none of this means shit since an 18-year-old is trusted (and can even be drafted) to join the military and defend the country at 18 – but dammit, no Camel Lights for them for another 3 years. (Note: the bill has since been amended to exempt those under 21 serving in the military – who would be allowed to smoke, which makes this whole thing even more insane.)
“You can commit a felony when you’re 18 years old and for the rest of your life, be in prison,” Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes said. “And yet you can’t buy a pack of cigarettes.”
And dude has a point.
Smoking is a terrible thing – and I say this as a former smoker. It makes you smell. It makes you cough. It shortens the small amount of time you get to spend living on earth. And that is why there are so few public places left where smokers can legally do their thing -so as to spare non-smokers from the harmful side effects.
But, even with how terrible we all know smoking is, who is California (or any state for that matter), to tell a legal adult that they can’t smoke?
And let me know when these same California lawmakers, who are working so hard on these age laws to keep us safe, come up with a maximum driving age.
What do you think? Weigh in with your thoughts in the comments below…
